UMAC announces 2021 spring volleyball postseason awards
ST. PAUL, Minn.---For the first time ever, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) hosted volleyball competition in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While a lot was different than in recent years, one thing that was consistent was the dominant performance of the University of Northwestern.
Following a dominant performance and 8-0 season, the champion Eagles headline the all-conference list with four First Team performers and six total honorees, it was announced Monday.
The top awards were highlighted by a repeat Defensive Player of the Year season by College of St. Scholastica sophomore libero Alcia Draper. The Saints' Jessica Remer was selected as the Player of the Year, while McKenzie Newton of the University of Minnesota Morris was the Rookie of the Year. Northland College's Chelsea Meierotto was named the UMAC Coach of the Year after leading the program to an impressive turnaround season.
In just her second collegiate season, Draper has shown her strength on defense for the Saints leading the UMAC in digs per set (d/s) with 6.82. This season she tallied 191 digs in just eight conference matches. Draper tallied back-to-back 30-dig performances to end the regular season which included a season-high 33 digs in a win over Northland. She tallied 28 or more digs in all four four-set matches for the Saints to help lead them to a second-place team finish with a 7-1 record. Draper was selected UMAC Defensive Player of the Year twice in the shortened season.
On the other side of the ball, Remer was just as dominant during a solid season for the Saints. The sophomore outside hitter led the UMAC in kills per set (k/s) with 4.82 and 135 total kills in eight matches. She was in the UMAC top 10 for hitting percentage (.248) and also provided strong defense for the Saints ranking seventh with 3.89 d/s.
Twice this season Remer eclipsed 20 kills including a match-high 24 in a win over Northland. She led the Saints in kills in every match this season and recorded six double-double kill-dig performances. Remer had a season-high 23 digs in a four-set win over the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She ended the season with back-to-back UMAC Player of the Week honors.
The University of Minnesota Morris finished fourth in the UMAC before advancing to the UMAC tournament championship match. Part of that success was due to first-year setter Newton who ranked fourth in the UMAC in assists per set (9.41) in her collegiate debut season. She also was fourth in the conference with 0.52 service aces per set and 17th with 2.85 d/s. She opened the year with a 54-assist performance in a five-set win over Wisconsin-Superior. Newton tallied four assist-dig double-doubles and eclipsed 30 or more assists four times this spring.
Northland put together an impressive season under second-year head coach Meierotto. The LumberJills went 4-4 in UMAC play to finish fifth – the team's highest finish since 2012. They also cracked the .500 mark in conference play for the first time since 2009. Meierotto's squad tallied three conference wins in five sets and earned a fourth in three sets.
The champion Eagles headlined the all-conference list with four players who have now earned honors on at least on of the three teams in two seasons. Northwestern's Sydney Schwitters is the lone player recognized to be selected in three-straight seasons with all three years earning First Team recognition. Teammate Marylyn Schroyer is the only other player other than Draper to be picked back-to-back First Team.
The other players to earn a spot on one of the three teams twice in their careers include Kate Aswege (Martin Luther College), Madissen Burns (St. Scholastica), Tori Everson (Minnesota Morris), Kendra Hardy (Northwestern), Remer, Kalley Schwitters (Northewstern) and Alyssa Ukestad (Minnesota Morris).
North Central University won the team sportsmanship award, an accolade that is selected by the UMAC coaches and awarded to the team that best represents sportsmanship throughout the entire season. Each team also had one representative named to the individual sportsmanship award list.
Player of the Year* - Jessica Remer, So., St. Scholastica
Defensive Player of the Year^ - Alcia Draper, So., St. Scholastica
Rookie of the Year% - McKenzie Newton, Fy., Minnesota Morris
Coach of the Year - Chelsea Meierotto, Northland
2021 UMAC Volleyball All-Conference First Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Alcia Draper^ |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
L |
Williams, Minn./Lake of the Woods |
| Tori Everson |
Minnesota Morris |
Sr. |
OH |
Willmar, Minn./Kerkohven-Murdock-Sunburg |
| Kendra Hardy |
Northwestern |
So. |
RS |
Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria |
| McKenzie Newton% |
Minnesota Morris |
Fy. |
S |
West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo Sheyenne |
| Jessica Remer* |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
OH |
Grand Forks, N.D./Sacred Heart |
| Marylyn Schroyer |
Northwestern |
So. |
L |
Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins |
| Kalley Schwitters |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
OH |
Clara City, Minn./Central Christian |
| Sydney Schwitters |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
S |
Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY |
2021 UMAC Volleyball All-Conference Second Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Kennedi Bernia |
Northland |
Sr. |
L |
Grand Haven, Mich. |
| Katie Brostrom |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
S |
Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake |
| Kassidy Cacka |
Bethany Lutheran |
So. |
OH |
Brownton, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake |
| Megan Holz |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Sr. |
S |
Savage, Minn./Burnsville |
| Maggie Jones |
Minnesota Morris |
So. |
MB |
St. Paul, Minn./Nova Classical Academy |
| Justine Litherland |
Northland |
Sr. |
MB |
Albequerque, N.M./Del Norte |
| Alexie Pryd |
Wisconsin-Superior |
So. |
OH |
Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove |
| Alyssa Ukestad |
Minnesota Morris |
Jr. |
L |
Jamestown, S.D./Jamestown |
2021 UMAC Volleyball All-Conference Honorable Mention
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Kate Aswege |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
L |
Thiensville, Wis./Kettle Morraine Lutheran |
| Hailey Atwood |
Wisconsin-Superior |
So. |
L |
Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake |
| Kelsey Birschbach |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
OH |
Deforest, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran |
| Madissen Burns |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
MB |
Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer |
| Ashley Larson |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
RS |
Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld |
| Caitlyn Pruis |
Northwestern |
Fy. |
MB |
Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian |
| Gabby Straub |
Northwestern |
So. |
OH |
Le Seuer, Minn./Le Seuer-Henderson |
2021 UMAC Volleyball Sportsmanship Awards
Team Award - North Central
Bethany Lutheran - Kaylee Glomstad, Jr., Montivideo, Minn./Montevideo
Crown - Emily Holliday, So., Minneapolis, Minn./Roosevelt
Martin Luther - Kaylie Solomon, Jr., Troy, Mich./Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Minnesota Morris - Jenna Howden, Jr., Morris, Minn./Morris
North Central - Jayda Peterson, Fy., Zimmerman, Minn./Princeton
Northland - Justine Litherland, Sr., Albequerque, N.M./Del Norte
Northwestern - Karly Fehr, Jr., Morris, Minn./Morris
St. Scholastica - Kelsi Rippberger, Sr., Brooklyn Park, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong
Wisconsin-Superior - Elise Ertl, Sr., Phillips, Wis./Phillips